


Sozin's Secrets

by withthemoon



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: F/F, F/M, M for swearing, University AU, and probably other things down the road, just tagging it for the main one yknow, slowburn, there will be a mix of ships
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-19
Updated: 2020-06-23
Packaged: 2021-03-03 23:20:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,861
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24813715
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/withthemoon/pseuds/withthemoon
Summary: Sozin University has been lauded for its research for decades, but many a rumor has sprung from its grounds, too. If one were to look too closely, or perhaps gain access to its secretive research labs, they might unearth more than they bargained for. University AU where the Gaang may or may not unleash hell upon themselves when they dig too far into the secrets of Sozin at Katara's behest.
Relationships: Katara/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 5





	1. Prologue

Dear Diary,

Not sure why I’m still writing in you. Sokka says I’m a little old to be keeping a diary laying around with all of my precious thoughts for him to read through. (As if he could ever figure out where I kept you hidden.) I just need to document this moment. I finally received my acceptance letter for university! Feels crazy that this day has finally come. Dad and Sokka were both super excited for me, of course. And I’m excited, too. Just a little nervous. 

Okay, I’m _a lot_ of nervous.

Sokka will be there, too, though. No worries, right? Except Sozin University is really well known for its research, and if I have any chance at peeking my head into one of those labs, I’m going to have to be a phenomenal student. Apparently, I was accepted into the same class as that girl who had a procedure done on her at the university nearly a decade ago. Her parents were super rich and donated a ton of money to have the researchers at Sozin cure her blindness. Whatever they did didn’t give her actual sight, according to what all the news articles written on it said, but she was able to find her way around without any kind of cane or aid. Nobody could explain how. 

Even weirder, even the girl was super tightlipped on how her “sight” worked.

According to dad, it was a big deal for a few months at the time, but eventually, everyone kind of forgot and carried on with their lives. There’s a lot of mystery that surrounds Sozin University, though. Mom used to work there, too, which makes it extra important to me. I really want to follow in her footsteps and make dad proud. Her work can’t have all been for naught, right? Even if I don’t know exactly what she was doing… I’m sure there are records, though. Sokka can’t seem to remember for long enough to search the library for me, but now I’ll be on campus to do it myself.

Alright, diary. I think Sokka might be right, after all…

Well, ugh, even thinking about it, I should at least use up the rest of the pages, right? It’d be a waste to get rid of you when you’re not even filled up all the way. 

Anyway, wish me luck!

Until next time,  
_Katara_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a short little prologue to set the scene for the first chapter. Hopefully this plot idea of mine (taken from a fic I tried and failed to write six years ago) isn't the lamest thing you've happened upon recently? And if it is, I apologize for your bad luck in having stumbled upon it. This is a bit of an ambitious project for me, but I'm going to do my best for y'all. Usual statement that the characters belong to A:TLA's writers and creators and not myself. Also, if characters become incredibly OOC, this is an AU and it's probably just gonna happen so buckle up and feel free to criticize.


	2. Move-In Day

Katara opened her eyes to the sound of birds chirping outside her bedroom window. She blinked tiredly at the ceiling overhead, feeling a sudden, nervous flutter of her stomach overwhelm her. Today she’d be moving into her new dorm on campus and meeting her new roommate, two events that simultaneously excited and terrified her. Katara didn’t know anything of her assigned roommate outside of her name and major: _Mai, Undecided._

While not wanting to be too terribly judgmental of the girl, she had a feeling that only the wealthy students were brave enough to enter the school with an undecided major. Anyone attending who was heavily reliant on scholarships had to make every cent count; there wasn’t any time to question _why_ you were attending Sozin University when they charged as much as they did for tuition.

Groaning, she rubbed at her eyes and rolled to one side, glancing at the time flashing on her alarm clock. It was fifteen minutes until her alarm was supposed to go off, but there was no way she was going to be able to fall back asleep now. 

Katara sat up and yawned, simultaneously lifting her arms high over her head in a stretch. Kicking the comforter off, she slid her legs over the side of the bed and leaned forward to turn off her alarm clock. She stretched a little further still and unplugged it from the wall, wrapping the cord around the rectangular body of the device. One glance around her room reminded her that the vast majority of her belongings had been packed into boxes in anticipation of today’s move. 

Beyond her open door, she could hear Sokka’s snoring filtering into the hall. A grin curled on her lips as she remembered that the two of them would be taking this journey _together._ It’d been lonely without him during her senior year of high school, the halls not feeling half as full in the absence of his jokes and loud laughter.

Further down the hall still would be her dad, likely awake as she was, counting down the moments until he had to wave farewell to both of his kids. Katara felt guilty, knowing she wanted this as much as she did and also knowing that it would leave their father with an empty house. 

_We’ll be home for every break,_ she’d promised him with bright eyes. Hakoda had merely smiled and pulled her into a hug, shaking his head all the while. He didn’t need reminding that his children loved him; he already knew it.

A particularly boisterous snore from Sokka broke her train of thought, and her gaze flickered to the hall again. With a smile, she stood, taking another stretch, before plotting the best way to wake up her brother (and with the most noise possible).

* * *

Fingers curled around the edges of her last box, Katara shut the car door and glanced in Hakoda’s direction. He was making polite chatter with another parent, saying something about how he was so proud of her and Sokka and all they’d accomplished. 

She looked away quickly, not wanting to inadvertently draw herself into the conversation, gaze instead finding another student crossing the street toward campus with a suitcase in tow. He caught her eye and smiled wide, lifting a hand to wave. Pink colored Katara’s cheeks as she lifted a hand to return the gesture, immediately shifting the box so she could turn her attention elsewhere.

The weight of the box left her arms, and she blinked at Sokka, not sure where he’d materialized from or how he’d managed to do it so quietly. “See you’re making friends already,” he motioned to the kid with the suitcase, wide smile stretching his lips.

Katara frowned. “He just waved. I wouldn’t say that makes us friends.”

“I bet he wishes he could get your numb- _Oof._ ” Sokka’s words were cut short as Katara sunk an elbow into his ribs.

Hakoda, having excused himself from the gathering parents, lifted a brow at his kids but chose to forgo investigating what had happened. “Now Sokka, you’ll look after your little sister for me, right?”

“Don’t you think she’s old enough to watch herself,” Sokka began, at the same time that Katara said, “I can take care of myself.”

Their father grinned, lifting his hands to placate. “I know, I know. Just look after one another. And you both have my number if you ever need me. I’ll just be a phone call away.” The bittersweet expression on his face had Katara’s heart splintering into a million pieces. 

“We’ll call every night, right, Sokka?” she gave her brother a pointed look as she stepped forward to throw her arms around Hakoda. No matter what Sokka was muttering under his breath, he still set the box down and wrapped his arms around the two of them. 

It was going to be a long semester away from their dad, but with a little luck, they’d all survive it.

* * *

Katara stood outside her assigned dorm room, box in hand, and stared through the open door for a moment. Her roommate had materialized at some point during her small family’s goodbyes, and she was, quite possibly, the most unlikely person she would have matched with herself based on appearance alone. Mai was tall, slender, and ghastly. Black fabric hung on her like a shroud, a surprising feat considering how tight her jeans looked. Her side of the room was a mix of black, gray, and muted red tones. Katara supposed it wasn’t the worst contrast to the obnoxious amount of blue she’d decorated her own side of the room in, though.

“Hey, are you gonna come in here or just stand out there staring at me?” Mai drew out the sentence languidly, sharp eyes narrowed on Katara’s face.

Swallowing thickly, she nodded — and then quickly _shook_ — her head. “Uh, sorry. I didn’t know when you were going to show up.” Katara kept her eyes down and focused on unpacking her final bit of belongings.

Out in the hall, a pair of girls paused in front of their doorway. “Mai!” one squealed, “your room looks _so you_!” 

The hair on Katara’s arms stood on end, and she purposely kept her hands moving, refusing to turn around and acknowledge her new dormmate’s apparent friends. For now, she’d just listen, and if anyone asked after her, she’d consider joining the conversation.

“I can’t believe father wouldn’t allow me to live off campus. What good is the title of dean if you can’t use it to your advantage?” The second voice wasn’t quite so high and bubbly. Instead, there was a darker undercurrent that lived in the girl’s words. 

Not to mention the fact that she’d just referred to the dean as her _father._

Katara’s curiosity betrayed her as she turned to glance in the second girl’s direction. The other’s gaze immediately shifted to meet hers, and she nearly squeaked in surprise.

“Mai, you haven’t introduced us to your lovely little roommate.”

Mai glanced in Katara’s direction. “We haven’t exchanged names yet.” Katara, for her part, bit her tongue to keep from saying that if she’d only managed to read the slip she’d know her name already. Mai didn’t seem like someone who was too terribly worried about the intricate details of someone else’s life, up to and including that of her new roommate.

“I’m Azula, and this is Ty Lee,” Azula stepped forward to introduce herself, extending a hand for Katara to shake. Behind her, Ty Lee smiled wide and offered Katara an excited wave. 

“Katara. It’s nice to meet you all.” Katara set down the book she’d been holding onto and placed her hand in Azula’s, attempting a firm shake. Azula grinned, the gesture feral. Mai rolled her eyes.

Ty Lee clapped her hands together, “I bet we’ll all be best friends by the end of the year.” The other two did not appear quite as convinced, though Azula was far better at hiding it than Mai.

“Perhaps we will,” Azula hedged, giving Katara an appraising once over. “Well, we should probably get going to the dining hall. You’re going to join us, right, Mai?” 

As soon as they’d all appeared, they were seemingly gone. Katara sat back on her bed and looked more carefully at the details of Mai’s decorations. There were a couple of polaroids that she’d pinned up — most housing the faces of all three girls: Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee. Katara wasn’t sure yet that she would fit in with the others, but it wouldn’t be horrible to have a dorm that came with a built-in friend group, right?

She sighed, knowing she wasn’t even half lucky enough for that to be true. She’d have to ask Sokka how he liked his roommate this year. Apparently, last year he’d been paired with Jet, and while they’d gotten on alright, he always seemed a bit leery of the other guy. 

“Wow, sucks to be you,” a new voice said from the hall. It took a moment for Katara to register that it’d been directed at her. “Sharing a room with a friend of the Dean’s kid.” Katara glanced up at the newcomer as they clicked their tongue.

Her jaw nearly dropped off her face. Even if the girl was far older than she’d been the last time her picture was in the paper, it would be hard to not recognize her as Sozin’s greatest experiment.

“Toph? Toph Beifong?”

“The one and only,” she smirked, though the shadow of a frown played on her lips.

Silence settled between them as Katara tried to come up with something to say. Should she try to apologize for the publicity that Toph had received as a child? Or maybe for the fact that her parents had tried to fix a part of her so publicly? Or would Toph prefer that Katara ask about how she was able to see and whether it had all been worth the trouble?

Toph only scoffed, as if Katara was wasting her time. “Well, come on already. You’re going to be the only one left in here when the Dean gives his address at dinner.”

* * *

There wasn’t enough time to search for Sokka as they entered the back of the cafeteria, the dining hall already filled to the brim with chatting students. A stage area had already been set up with a few faculty milling about, probably in anticipation of the dean’s arrival. Katara’s gaze flickered to Toph, though the other’s expression suggested she was busy contemplating something. 

“C’mon, this way,” Toph’s hand settled on her wrist, and Katara nearly gasped in surprise as the petite girl all but dragged her through the assembled masses. 

Katara’s attention remained frozen on the stage as Toph pulled her along. The dean had finally stepped out and was shuffling a couple of papers at the podium. It was hard to miss the resemblance to her roommate’s friend, now that she knew they were related. He looked regal, but in a frightening way, his eyes so bright they nearly gleamed gold. His tie was striped red and black, the official colors of Sozin University — colors that were also well-represented by the student body awaiting his address.

“Here we are.” 

Toph’s voice and the release of her hand on Katara’s wrist brought her back to the whole table-finding-debacle, one that Toph seemed to have resolved on her own.

“Hi!” a baby-faced boy with short black hair chirped at her, his wide hazel eyes conveying every ounce of excitement he seemed to feel at making her acquaintance. “I’m Aang!”

“Uh, hey,” Katara smiled in return, taking the seat next to Toph and across the table from him. “I’m Katara. It’s nice to meet you, Aang.”

“Aang and I went to high school together,” Toph explained with a content grin, leaning back in her chair.

“And now we get to go to university together, too!” 

A tap at the microphone echoed through the dining hall, and the chatter began to subside. Most students’ attention had been drawn to the stage, though some of the older students didn’t seem to care as much as the others. Katara recognized Mai, Azula, and Ty Lee a couple tables over. A fourth person was seated with them, but their back as turned to her. 

“I’d like to welcome you all to Sozin University. And if it isn’t your first year here, I’d like to welcome you back.” The dean’s voice boomed over the sound system. Behind them, Katara could hear a couple of girls giggling about how _hot_ they thought he was.

“Blah, blah, blah, I’m very important and you pay me lots of money,” Toph stage-whispered next to her, gesturing with her hand. Aang giggled, though he’d been listening very intently a moment earlier.

The address wasn’t too long, all in all. The dean said his piece and introduced the heads of each department. Katara was careful to tune in when research was mentioned, though Toph’s commentary tended to be much more entertaining and flavorful. _Long Feng._ She’d have to figure out how to get in touch with him later.

When the dean finished his closing statements and invited the students to commence with their evening meal, a ripple of excitement wove its way through the hall. Toph even reached out to Aang and Katara and jerked them upright with her, fighting for the front of the line with all the others.

“Sokka!” Katara called to her brother as he elbowed his way past a couple of students to their left. 

“Katara! I was gonna text you to see if you’d made it!” He caught up to them and wrapped an arm around her, noting the other two belatedly. “I see you’ve made some friends.”

“I guess so,” she grinned, introducing him to Aang and Toph, the latter of who he recognized just as easily as she had. There would be time for questions and explanations later, but she was more curious about who he’d ended up getting as a roommate.

“So who’re you living with this year? Not Jet again is it?”

Sokka pulled a face. “Worse. I got the dean’s son. I’ll never be able to get away with anything if he’s the type to rat on people.” He heaved a heavy sigh that had Katara lifting her brow.

“I’m neighbors with his daughter, I think. Or, at least my roommate is friends with her.” Toph and Aang had pulled ahead a bit, and they had to push their way through to catch up. 

Chuckling as he reached for a plate, Sokka met her gaze with bright eyes, mischief dancing in the depths of that ocean blue. “Guess we’ve got our year cut out for us, huh?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little more content than the prologue this time! It's a lot of scene setting and character introduction, but hopefully we can get to something a bit more fun soon, yeah?


End file.
